If Adam didn't ask this question and continued with the experiment, then Mage Morde could attack Adam for intruding on his research, then coerce Adam into crediting Mage Morde to compensate for this 'loss'.
Mage Morde had already planned this out. If he used this reason to defend himself, then the Tower wouldn't be able to defend Adam.
However, because of Adam's question, his plan was shattered into a million pieces.
Adam simply stared at him and asked, "Do you agree to disclose this technology to me? I'll pay for it."
"Well..." Mage Morde breathed. "It's not that I can't, but..."
The devil scoffed, "This is probably the dumbest mage I've ever seen."
Adam didn't give him a chance to negotiate and continued, "If you don't want to, I'll just ask you to point out what you didn't disclose."
Mage Morde knew that if he didn't disclose this information, then Adam would ask him to leave the laboratory. He could only force himself to smile, "What do you mean by that? Of course I can disclose it! Here, let me restore the body to its basic structure and remove my knowledge from it."
The devil couldn't help but sneer. They could tell Mage Morde was still trying to betray Adam.
Adam handed the mechanical body to him, and with a single swipe across the body, the unique rune structure of the body dissipated.
Adam took it without hesitation, restoring the basic structure back to the body for consistency.
Next, Adam asked Mage Morde how to operate his equipment.
Adam placed the mechanical body into a large instrument and hovered over to the console.
The screen displayed on the console was divided into several parts, magnifying every structure of the mechanical body, and Adam focused his attention on the energy circuit of the body.
This circuit is made of magical metal. He took out some power stones and placed them into the instrument, then stimulated his mental power to run the mechanical body.
The instrument began to do complex work, and the power stones began to decompose, converting its energy into the body, thus fuelling the bodily functions of the mechanical body.
Mage Morde had calmed down and explained, "The energy circuit is the most basic structure of the mechanical body. Compared to the other parts, it isn't particularly precise, but it is the most important. If you want to completely replace it, you must know the runes of which it applies to."
Adam turned to the other end of the instrument and instructed him, "Help me maintain the stability of the mechanical body."
Mage Morde was stunned. Was Adam really treating him as a lackey?
However, he couldn't refuse Adam. After all, it was his own request to help Adam out.
"I'll stimulate the circle with electricity and observe the effects. If there is any sign of overloading magic, please help me maintain it."
...
The research lasted for a whole week, but Adam did not sleep a wink while continuing the experiment. However, Mage Morde couldn't help but complain, despite not daring to back away from the experiment.
In the past seven days, Adam completely regarded him as an assistant. Resentment bottled up in Mage Morde's heart, and he couldn't wait to blast Adam into oblivion.
The life support device could only guarantee Frank's most basic bodily functions, but his already hollowed-out body couldn't stay in such a state for any longer. Adam decided to help Frank attach a basic version of the mechanical body to help him adapt to it, before attaching a more advanced version of the body.
Seven days wasn't enough for Adam to understand the rune structure behind the energy circuit, so Adam chose a rough method, building the energy circuit using his knowledge back on Earth, using the battery as a power source, then covering the mechanical body with various wires.
"Mage Morde, refine these mithril into silk threads of about 0.5 square millimetres to ensure conductivity," Adam ordered.
Mithril and silver were excellent conductors of energy, but mithril was able to conduct magic and elemental magic as well. Although Adam requires a narrow cross-section, its electricity carrying capacity was very large, which was enough to fully support the mechanical body.
Adam distributed the wires according to the specified orientation on the projection in the centre of the lab, then recorded them in the simulator to ensure it would work well. Using the battery as a power source, it began to transmit electricity along the wires to every part of the body.
"Neural circuits, normal."
"Simulated organs, normal."
"Stress response, normal."
"Force transmission, normal."
Transforming the mithril into wires was nothing to Mage Morde. He completed the task in an instant, then watched Adam working attentively. He couldn't help feeling that Adam is really succeeding in this experiment while his own research was ignored by all the mages.
He was still very proud of the instruments and equipment that he developed, since he fixed a recording function into his equipment. Once he left the Academy, all he needed to do was let the recorder play and he could...
"Analysis complete. Bodily functions are all normal."
Adam breathed a sigh of relief at the success of the simulation, then placed the mechanical body back into the instrument, replacing all the energy circuits with wires instead.
"Did you succeed?" Mage Morde asked.
Adam nodded, then turned around to delete all the experiment's process and data in the device.
Mage Morde could hear his own vein snapping, squeezing the mithril in his hand into nothing.
Adam was on guard, but showed no change in his emotion. He simply turned his head and requested, "Mage Morde, the next step is to connect this mechanical body to Frank, so I need your help."
He was furious, but his expression was normal. So what if you delete all of the records, he thought to himself. You cunning apprentice, you will pay for your arrogance towards me!
